Water cooler



Aug; 6, 1935. F. D. PELTIER El AL- WATER COOLER 'Filed March 20, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INENTORrS ATTORNEY Aug. 5, 1935- F. D. PELTIER El AL 2,010,413

WATER COOLER Filed March 20, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 o o o 0 32 7 IQKENTQRJ I BY 4 ATTORNEY."

Patented Aug. 6, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WATER. COOLER Application March 20, 1933, Serial No. 661,694

11 Claims. (Cl. 62-141) This invention relates to a water cooler, and more particularly to a water cooler employing a refrigerating system for cooling drinking water, or other liquid.

It ,is an object of the invention to provide a water cooler in which immediate cooling of water adjacent its point of discharge is accomplished upon the starting of the refrigerating system.

It is a further object of the invention to prom vide in a water cooler, a beverage compartment with means for immediately refrigerating said compartment upon starting of the refrigerating system.

- A still further object of the invention is to provide a water cooler mechanically refrigerated in which the utmost refrigerating effect is obtained from the refrigerating fluid.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a water cooler constructed in accordance with the present invention, parts being broken away for purposes of illustration Fig. 2, a horizontal transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a fragmentary vertical transverse section taken on the line' 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4, a detailed side elevation of the bottle compartment taken on the line l-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, a casing III has mounted therein a refrigerating unit comprising a motor I I which drives a compressor l2 and supplies compressed refrigerant vapor to a condenser 35 I3, where it is liquefied. The refrigerant liquid is supplied through a pipe l4 and a suitable flow control means such as for example, a capillary tube, an expansion valve or the like, to a cooling element hereinafter more particularly described. 40 The liquid refrigerant changes from liquid to vapor and absorbs heat in so doing. The vapor is returned to the compressor through a suction line l5.

This invention contemplates utilization of essential cabinet structure and refrigerating mechanism with the elimination of unnecessary bulky construction as disclosed in Patent 1,854,995 granted April 19, 1932, to Alfred E. Nave.

The chilling unit comprises for purposes of illustration a pipe coil l'l into which water or other liquid to be cooled is admitted at the upper end, and is discharged from the lower or other end after having been reduced in temperature in its passage through the coil. The coil ll may be of any desired shape, in the present instance being a flattened uniformly coiled pipe having its lower end bent upwardly at I8 along the main body of the coil.

The refrigerant pipe l4 through which liquid refrigerant is supplied to the cooling element extends from the flow control means or expansion valve I6 up the center of the coil I! for convenience in assembling and is looped downwardly and formed into a small coil I9 wrapped around the upstanding discharge end of the water coil I! in 10 order to give immediate refrigeration to, the water nearest the point of discharge as soon as the refrigerating system starts to operate.

As clearly shown in Fig. 3, the refrigerant pipe is extended from the upper end of the wraparound coil l9 and connected to a cooling coil on the side of the bottle or beverage container 2| to give immediate refrigeration thereto upon the starting of the refrigeration unit. This coil 20 is in the form of a loop and its end opposite that connected to the coil i9 is connected to refrigerant pipe 22 which extends through a coupling 23 on the'upper end of the upright portion l8 of the coil H. The refrigerant pipe 22 extends through coil ll then out through the connection 24, and again in a loop 25 in contact with the bottle or beverage chamber 2| from which it returns to the compressor.

It will be apparent therefore that refrigerant after passing the expansion valve or other flow control means is utilized first to cool the discharge end of the cooling coil, second the upper portion of the beverage container, third the water coil in reverse direction to the flow of water, and lastly in contact with the beverage container where additional refrigerating action is produced by the second section or loop of the coil, which acts as a vaporizer coil to prevent return of unevaporated liquid to the compressor.

Water is admitted to the cooling coil from the city supply or other source through a pipe 26, from whence it passes through pipe 21 to a bubbler 28, the discharge from the bubbler being controlled by a hand valve 29, waste water being collected and discharged through a pipe 30.

If desired, the waste water discharged through the pipe can be utilized for imparting an initial cooling action to the water admitted through the pipe 26. The coils 20 and 25 are preferably secured in good thermal contact with the beverage or bottle container 2|, and such container is provided with a removable cover 3i. The cabinet is provided with insulation 32 around the water coil and bottle or beverage compartment.

Any desired form of control for the cyclical ope eration of the refrigerating unit may be employed, as for example, a thermostatic control employing a thermostatic bulb 33 in contact with the water coil l1.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various other changes may be made in the construction and arrangement without departing from the spirit of the invention, and therefore the invention is not limited to that which is described in the specification and shown in the drawings, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A water cooler comprising a cabinet, a refrigerating unit in said cabinet, a water coil comprising a section of pipe wound upon itself and having one end extended upwardly, a beverage container located beside said water coil, a pipe for conducting refrigerant from. said refrigerating unit wound around the discharge end of said water coil and extended respectively in contact with said beverage compartment, longitudinally through said water coil from the discharge end to the inlet end of the same, in contact with said beverage container, and finally returned to said refrigerating unit, and means for supplying water to and discharging water from said water coil.

2. A self-contained water cooler comprising a casing, a refrigerating unit in said casing, a cooling coil in said casing, means for supplying water into the upper end of said cooling coil and dis-i charging it from the lower portion of the coil, means for conducting refrigerant from said refrigerating unit around the discharge end of said coil, and thence through said coil in a direction reverse to the how of water.

3. In a water cooler, a cooling coil, means for admitting water into one end of said coil and discharging itfrom the other end, a receptacle adjacent said cooling coil, and means for conducting I refrigerant in thermal contact with the discharge end of said coil and said receptacle and then again in heat exchange relation with said coil.

4. In a. water cooler, means for containing water to be cooled, means for containing other substances to be cooled, and means for conducting refrlgerant respectively into engagement with each of said elements alternately a plurality of times.

5. A Water cooler comprising a casing provided with water discharge means, a cooling coil connected to the discharge means, formed of telescoped pipes forming a passage for refrigerant and a passage for water, the refrigerant pipe being provided with an extended surface in contact with the discharge end of said water pipe to provide localized increased refrigeration, and means for supplying refrigerant through said refrigerant p p 6. A liquid cooler comprising a container for liquid to be cooled, a discharge connection from said container, a beverage container, means for refrigerating said containers, and means for applying initial refrigerating effect to said discharge connection.

'7. A liquid cooler comprising a container for liquid to be cooled, a discharge connection from said container, a beverage container, means for applying initial refrigerating effect to said containers, and means for again utilizing the refrigerating effect to cool the beverage container.

8. In a refrigerating-system a cooling element for receiving liquid to be cooled, a beverage container, and a conduit for refrigerant having a portion disposed initially in heat exchange relation with the discharge from the cooling element and with the beverage container and subsequently in heat exchange relation with the major portion of the cooling element and with the beverage container, whereby upon starting of the refrigerating system the first refrigerating effect will be imparted to liquid about to be discharged and to the beverage container, and the subsequent refrigerating effect will be distributed.

9. In a water'cooler, a beverage container for liquid to be cooled, a refrigerating system for cooling said container and having a cooling coil two portions of which are disposed in contact with the beverage container, 9. portion of the coil between such portions being utilized for refrigerating another portion of the device.

10. In a water cooler a cooling element for containing water to be cooled, a refrigerating system for cooling said cooling element and having a refrigerant coil provided with two portions in heat exchange relation with the cooling element for cooling the same, and an intermediate portion out of direct contact with said cooling element for cooling another part of the device.

11. A water cooler comprising a receptacle for water to be cooled, a beverage container, a refrigerating unit having a refrigerating coil disposed in contact with the container for water and having a portion disposed in contact with the beverage container immediately preceding the connections to the compressor to form a vaporizer coil.

FRANK D. PELTIER. WALTER A. KUENZLI. 

